Prefabricated door



llg- 29, 1961 l.. LESTER, JR 2,997,750

PREFABRICATED DooR Original Filed March 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I .2. I2 42 F G l l I: le I7 'i Il 33 l 2 afg/M 9 777m I Aug. 29, 1961 L. L. LESTER, JR 2,997,750

PREFABRICATED DOOR Original Filed March 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4.

tawson L. Lester, Jr. y P 27u55/ A TTM? United States 'latc-n."t

2,997,750 PREFABRICATED DOOR Lawson L. Lester, Jr., P.O. Box 751, Martinsville, Va. Original application Mar. 28, 1955, Ser. No. 497,189,

now Patent No. 2,887,219, dated VMay 19, 1959. Di-

vided and this application Feb. 5, 1959, Ser. No.

This invention relates generally to preformed frame constructions designed to be placed in a building wall opening and relates more particularly to a preformed door frame construction.

This application constitutes a division of application Serial No. 497,189, tiled March 28, 1955, now Patent No. 2,887,219, issued May 19, 1959 for Prefabricated Door and Package Assembly.

An object of the present invention is to provide a frame construction designed to be set into a wall opening, such as a door frame structure, wherein such frame is formed in two sections which can be set up one independently of the other or, in other words, which will facilitate the formation of the frame in the Wall opening in an easy and quick manner.

The frame structure embodies a pair of inner and outer side frame members connected by a cross frame member and each of which inner and outer members or inner and outer side frame members includes spaced molding strips is reduced to a minimum as, for example, in the jamb portion only two parts are employed one of which forms an element of the inner side frame member while the other part forms an element of the outer side frame member.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of reinforcing wedge means for the frame construction having dual utility in being adapted to rigidity the same when the frame construction forms a part of a package assembly for shipping and after the frame construction has been set up or installed in a building wall opening.

These and other objects inherent in the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings but it is to be understood that this showing is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting to the exact construction shown since obviously changes can be made both in detailed construction and arrangement of parts without forming a departure from the spirit and scope of this invention as set forth and defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

FIG.1 is a perspective view of la package assembly of the preformed door `and frame construction and encasing structure showing the functional relationship of the door as assembled in the package and the dual function wedge devices;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken generally along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along.

line 3--3 in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the upper corners of the package assembly with the corner boot removed;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective of one of the lower rice corners of the package assembly with the corner boot removed;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view showing a portion of the prefabricated door assembly being assembled into a door opening and illustrating the manner of using the,

wedges.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates the package unit generally which includes the preformed door and frame assembly as well as the elements cooperable therewith and aixed with particular relation thereto to form the package' adapted for shipping the door assembly. s

The door and frame assembly itself consists of two" side frame members which are interconnected at their upper ends by a header, effecting a generally inverted U- shaped configuration with the door proper being hingedly secured to one of the side frame members and cooperable with the latch and lock mechanism on the other sidev frame member in a conventional and well understood manner. As will be seen most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the side frame members and the header or cross frame member each consists of a pair of spaced molding strips which will be designated the inner molding strip 11 and the outer molding strip 12, it being understood that these molding strips may take any desired ornamental configuration. Rigidly aixed by any suitable means to'the inner and outer molding strips 11 and 12 are the inner and outer parts or sections 13 and 14 of an intermediate two part body, forming, for a door frame structure, a jamb or, in the case of a window, the frame to which the molding strips are secured. These jamb sections extend at right angles to the molding strips adjacent to one longitudinal edge thereof such as to aiord an L-shaped cross-sectional construction and during normal engage-y ment of parts, the cross-sectional configuration of the side pieces and the header is channel-like as shown. Thef inner or free longitudinal edges of the jamb sections 13 and 14 are provided with notches or grooves 15 and 16' which extend longitudinally thereof which are of such dimension as to be substantially the same width as the tongue portions 17 and 18 which are formed by the notches so that when the parts are interengaged in a manner in-V dicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tongue 17 and 18 will frictionally engage within the corresponding notches to effect hinges 22 connecting it to the inner jamb part 13 in the manner illustrated.

As shown the inner jamb part or section 13 is of materially greater width than the outer jamb part or section 14. By this provision, the inner jamb part may be provided on its inner face with means for receiving edge portions of a closure body such as the door structure 20,' the means here illustrated being the hereinbefore described rabbet 19 which provides the stop surface 21 for the door.

Associated with and forming a part of the novel door and frame construction forming the subject matter of the present application, is structure which performs a dual function with respect to the door and frame, or

other frame construction, and the novel packaging assembly claimed in the co-pending application of which this application forms a division. Accordingly in order to bring out such dual function the illustration and description of the packaging assembly is included herein.

l Patented Aug. 29, 1961 In the packaging assembly shown, the rigidifying'of the I side frame members for shipment and during and after installation of the preformed frame assembly, is accom plished by the utilization of inner and outer Wedge members 23 adn 24. Such wedge members are employed also for the purpose of properly positioning or centering the preformed assembly in a Wall door opening. As shown most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 6, the inner wedge 23 is rigidly and securely fastened to the outer surface of the inner jamb face 13 by means of fastening elements such as nails 25 or the like. The outer wedge 24 overlies the innerwedge with its wide end 26 coterminus with the thin end 27 of the inner wedge such that the two together initially form a rectangular block. A single fastening element such as the nail 28 is driven through the outer wedge 24 and into the inner wedge 23 to hold the outer wedge in place during shipment and before installation. In this respect, it will be noted that as shown most clearly in FIG. 3, the head of the fastener 28 is preferably left in such a manner that it is spaced somewhat from the outer surface of the wedge 24- so that it may be easily removed by claw hammer or the like. The purpose of the fastener 28 is solely to hold the outer wedge 24 in place prior to installation of the preformed assembly. In installing the preformed assembly, the longitudinally separable portions of the door frame are parted and the inner section including the molding 11 and the jamb section 13 together with the door 20 are placed in approximately the desired position within the door opening defined in part by the vertical studs indicated by the reference characters 29 and 30. Of course, prior to the installation of this portion of the unit, the outer wedges 24 have been removed from the inner wedges. When the door and frame portion are in approximately the correct position, the outer wedges 24 are inserted in place in the manner shown in FIG. 6 and may be driven downwardly in respect to the inner wedges to tightly wedge the preformed portion between the vertical studding 29 and 30 and similar but opposite studding, not shown, which borders the other side of the door frame opening and which is cooperable with the other side of the door frame unit. Thus, the wedge construction is not only desirable in connection with the packaged unit wherein it rigidifies and strengthens the side frame members but also it serves the purpose of properly positioning the door frame and door assembly and wedging the same in place when the unit is installed. As Will be evident from FIG. l, the packaged unit includes the previously described door and frame assembly provided at each corner thereof with the boot members 31, 32, 33 and 34, a second mechanism for holding the door frame sections together against separation and to serve as a base to which the corner boot members are secured, and the front and back protective sheets 35 and 36. Each of the comer boots includes a pair ofspaced side wall pieces 37 and 38 which have at least two intersecting right angular edge portions 39 and 40 and corner pieces 41 and 42 joining the wall pieces along these intersecting edges in the manner shown most clearly in FIG. 1 with reference to the corner boot 31.

As is to be seen most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 4, a pair of securing block members 43 and 44 are associated with each of the upper corners of the door and frame construction, the securing blocks being of such length as to extend between and `abut the molding strips 11 and 12 when the tongue and groove connections of the jamb sections 13 and 14 are fully engaged. The lower surface of each block is cut away as indicated by the reference character 45 for substantially half its length to provide clearance for the stepped relation between the jamb sections 13 and l14. Additionally, ythe vertical notch 46 is provided in the side face 47 of each block and the depth of this notch, although not critical, preferably extends to about half the thickness of the securing blocks. Further, there is another vertical notch 48 provided in each 4 securing block in one end face thereof" such as to extend longitudinally of the block. Fasteners 49 and 50 extend through the respective notches 46 and 48 and into the respective jamb sections 13 and 14 serving to rigidly retain the securing blocks in place when the boots 31 and 32 are placed in enveloping relation over the upper corners of the door and frame construction. To then maintain the corner boots in position, fasteners 51 and 52 are driven through the corner pieces 41 and 42 thereof into the securing blocks 43 and 44. Thus, a rigid, protcctive assemblage is provided for the upper corners of the door and frame construction. It is to be noted that the height of each securing block is such as to space the upper face thereof somewhat below the outer edge of the inner and outer molding strips, thus permitting the securing block fasteners 49 and 50 to be driven to such an extent that their heads are not crushed into the body of the block but lie outwardly thereof between the blocks and overlying corner pieces 41 and 42. This in turn permits ready removal of the blocks after the corner boots are removed. Also, and more important, it per-V mits the fasteners 50 to slide freely within the groove 48 so that once the corner boots have been removed, the jamb section 14 and its associated parts may be withdrawn and disengaged from the jamb section 13. Thereafter, removal of the fasteners 50 will be relatively simple since they project a very substantial distance above the' surface of the jamb section 14. Also, the securing blocks will then present a free end portion projecting beyond the jamb section 13 so that light hammer blows on this free end will easily pull out the fasteners 49 and free the securing blocks.

The situation relative to the lower corner boots4 is similar in some respects to the upper corner boots in that securing blocks 54 are associated with the lower portions of the side frame members. These blocks are fastened to the inner and outer jamb sections by means of fasteners 55 and 56 which project through the vertical notches 57 and 58 of blocks 54, similarly to the manner in which the previously described securing blocks are fastened. If it is desired, the blocks 54 may be provided' with notches 59 on their under surfaces toV clear an associated wedge assembly 60 disposed therebeneath and fastened to the inner jamb section in the manner previously described. Of course, the blocks 54 include lower surface notches 61 to clear the step formed between the two jamb sections.

Secured to the lower edge of the door adjacent each corner of the door and frame construction is a spacer block 62, securement being occasioned for example by a pair of fasteners 63 and 64. Since the width of the spacer blocks 62 is such as to extend between the side walls of the boots 33 and 34, they project a substantial distance beyond one side of the door 20 so that when the corner boots 33` and 34 are removed, the spacer blocks are also easily removed by merely hitting them with a hammer or similar object. Fasteners 65 and 66 are driven through the corner pieces of the boots 33 and 34, into the securing blocks 54 and spacer blocks 62 respectively, tirmly securing these boots in place for shipping.

As will be readily apparent from the foregoing description, while the invention has been particularly referred to as being a door construction, it may also be embodied in window constructions wherein a window frame may be positioned in like manner to the door 20 but arranged for sliding movement, swinging movement or otherwiseL as desired. In such la manner of carrying out the inven-- tion it will be desirable to provide means for associating.

13 so as to define therewith slots or grooves which will l receive upper and lower marginal edge portions of the screen frame.

The strip at the top of the screen would be of greater thickness than that at the bottom so as to provide a deeper groove at the top` whereby the screen panel may be easily removed by rst inserting the upper marginal portion thereof into such deeper groove and then placing the lower edge in vertical registry with the lower groove, whereupon when the screen panel is released and allowed to drop into the lower groove it will project slightly into both the upper and lower grooves to thus be retained firmly in place.

It will be appreciated that the window unit when constructed may be formed so that the longest dimension is upright or, if desired, the longest dimension can be horizontal. In either case, the strips for holding the screen panel in place would be positioned so as to be in upper and lower relationship and they would preferably be spaced from the edge 68' a distance slightly greater than the width of the screen panel.

I claim:

A Prefabricated frame construction for installation in a building wall opening between wall studding, the said construction comprising a pair of frame assemblies adapted to be interconnected to form the complete construction, each of said assemblies comprising a pair of spaced side frame members interconnected by a transverse header, each of said side frame members consisting of a pair of jamb members having molding strips rigidly and iixedly secured thereto at substantially right angles relative to the jamb, each of said jamb members in each frame assembly having -a tongue and groove formed in the edge portion thereof throughout its entire length, the said tongue and groove in each jamb member being of the same length and depth so that the tongue on one jamb may snugly fit within the groove on the other jamh and substantially comp-letely ill the groove, the jamb members of one of said frame assemblies being of materially greater width than the jamb members in the other frame assembly and being provided with a rabbet along the outer edge of its entire inner face so as to receive a closure member, the outer face of said jamb member of greater width being laterally olfset relative to the other jamb member so as to provide a longitudinally extending recess for the reception of a pair of wedge members therein, a pair of wedge members associated with said recess, one of said wedge members being rigidly and ixedly secured to the jamb and extending longitudinally of said jamb, and the other of said wedge members being positioned against and longitudinally of the outer side of the xed wedge member and between the latter and a wall stud so as to be movable in a vertical plane relative thereto and to thereby provide a uniform wedging action longitudinally of the frame assembly.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,677,058 Stein July 10, 1928 1,855,470 Bilton Apr. 26, 1932 2,651,8214 Lester Sept. 15, 1953 2,753,602 Ringle July 10, 1956 

